Rashad leaves lasting mark with talent, morals

Rashad, a standout safety, is widely viewed as the classy leader of this year's UCF football team. He is a nominee for the Draddy Award, one of college football's top accolades often referred to as the academic Heisman.

The tattoos are Rashad's sole indulgence that might be viewed as slightly unconventional for a straight-laced student, but they are strictly religious images or his initials. He loved artwork as a child and his mom took him to get his first tattoo when he was 16 years old, with the understanding he would never get a tattoo visible when he wore a T-shirt.

"I never got into trouble as a child, so she figured that would be my one habit," he said. "As long as I kept it contained, she would allow it."

One of the tattoos is a reference to Rashad's favorite Bible verse, Luke 12:48.

"It's something that my dad always used to tell me when I was growing up," Rashad said. "It's different in different versions of the Bible, but it pretty much says, `To whom much is given, much is expected.' That's kind of something he used to stress a lot. We were blessed with a lot of talent. Myself, as well as a lot of people in my family, so just remember the expectations that come with it."

Rashad has set high standards for himself at UCF.

On the field, he has 24 tackles in six games this season. He is tied with fellow senior Johnell Neal for the most interceptions on the team this season, snagging three.

Off the field, Rashad has earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a 3.4 grade point average and is working toward a master's degree in the same field. He has earned numerous academic honors throughout his UCF career, including the Knights' 2007 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

"I would say expectations from my family helped me do well academically," said Rashad, whose father is an Episcopalian Christian minister. "Once I got out of elementary school, it really wasn't a problem pushing me. My parents did a good job raising me. They stressed the importance of being responsible."

Rashad leads the UCF football team's Bible study program and volunteers at football summer camps held at his alma mater, Episcopal High in Jacksonville.

He also has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House, the Orange County Public Schools Transition Program, Habitat for Humanity and Florida Children's Hospital. When he returns home to Jacksonville, he also lends his time to the Salzbacher Homeless Shelter and Wolfson Children's Hospital.

"One thing I really enjoy is working with kids," Rashad said. "I was able to do some things at elementary schools. It's just really exciting to see the kids' faces when you go in and they enjoy seeing you so much. I enjoy it just as much as they do."

Neal said his close friendships with Rashad, senior Joe Burnett and senior Jason Venson were one of the big reasons he fought hard to overcome being shot during the offseason. Neal added that he didn't want to miss his chance to play alongside Rashad this season.

"He's one of those people I wanted to be around as soon as possible after I got shot," Neal said. "Even if I never got better and never played football again, I needed to be around my teammates because we're all like brothers."

While Rashad tries to live a balanced life filled with plenty of rewards unrelated to football, he is just as focused as his teammates on salvaging UCF's season.

"We're excited to defend our title," he said. "We didn't get off to the best start, but we can still achieve all of our goals. We're all still focused finding a way to beat Tulsa."